Does the US government really hold a patent on medical marijuana?

Fact or fiction? There is a rumor swirling around on the web that the United States government knows what star celebs like Willie Nelson, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Kristen Stewart, and Sting have been trying to tell people for years: that marijuana can be good for you. Did the U.S. government really take out a patent on cannabis because of it?

Photo Does the US government really hold a patent on medical marijuana? In a new thesis posted on Stop The Drug War, writer Brinna Nanda makes a startling claim. The United States government has allegedly patented cannabis. Yes, that’s right. The very same U.S. government officials who refuse to let people grow their own marijuana for medical and recreational use at home apparently have already conceded the drug can be a powerful health aide for a wide variety of illnesses and diseases whose symptoms could be alleviated by eating or smoking a little kind bud that is home-grown. And they want the legal rights to use it, control its distribution, and to sell it.

Nanda revealed the strange news about medical marijuana by first telling the story of his [her] own medical crisis and subsequent inquiry into the use of cannabis for health purposes. He [she] writes:

When I was at the Patients Out of Time Medical Cannabis conference in Asilomar this last April, I overheard a remark that startled me: “The US Government has a patent on cannabis.” I couldn’t locate the person who made the comment, so I went home and did some online research. Sure enough, patent number 6,630,507 states unequivocally that cannabinoids are useful in the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of diseases including auto-immune disorders, stroke, trauma, Parkinson’s, Alzeheimer’s and HIV dementia. The patent, awarded in 2003, is based on research done by the National Institute of Health, and is assigned to the US Dept. of Health and Human Services.

The writer goes on to explain (in his opinion) why the government holding a patent on cannabis is important. He writes,”Here is a legal document, in the public domain, which flies in the face of the US Government’s stated position with regard to the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I substance having no “currently accepted medical use”.”

“Believe me,” he says. “Citing this patent stops the “medical marijuana is a myth” advocates dead in their tracks. They simply cannot argue with it. The forces that would keep cannabis illegal are vocal and well-funded, but they are not impervious to persistent effort.”

As most people know, “The lynch pin in the War on Drugs is cannabis…” says Nanda. “Without the suppression and interdiction of this popular and widely used substance, there simply would not be enough “illegal drug use” going on to justify the huge amount of money and resources spent on fighting drugs.”

Hollywood celebrities who have advocated strongly for the legalization of marijuana for medical use and recreational purposes include (but are in no way limited to) big name star celebs like Willie Nelson (a country music singer), actress Cameron Diaz, pop music star Justin Timberlake, Twilight star Kristen Stewart, and international singing sensation Sting. Sting has come out in the press numerous times in recent years to tell the press the war on drugs has failed. Saying it is time to move on and accept that drugs like marijuana are essentially good for the mind, body, and soul, all the star celebs who use it cite improved health, stress relief, and increased creativity because they use it.

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